1 In the spring of 1862 the Confederacy's capital of Richmond, Virginia, was being threatened by General George McClellan and the Union army. He was a very cautious man, and he moved his troops forward slowly. By the end of June they were only seven miles from their goal.2 General Robert E. Lee did not want Richmond under siege and decided to fight back before the enemy was right on his doorstep. He sent out General "Jeb" Stuart with 1,200 cavalrymen to ride all the way around the approaching Union army to determine its strengths and weaknesses. It took him four days to finish and return, but he brought good news that boosted morale.3 McClellan was aware of the cavalry force and became convinced that the Confederates outnumbered his forces by 2:1. Lee used the next seven days to convince the Union general that it was better to take his army elsewhere.